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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 · file · wax · mark · bulb · land · cabinet · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wax — to grow
  5. band — a ring
  6. file — a document
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. land — ground
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. file — a tool
  15. tube — a container
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. file — a line of people
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mark — to pay attention

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