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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · stock · toast · lash · bulb · rush · club · wax

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. toast — bread
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. tube — a container
  9. stock — goods
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. club — for golf
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. club — a group
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com