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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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · squash · wave · wax · bulb · last · fork · rock

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rock — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. land — a country
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fork — in a road
  8. land — ground
  9. last — finally
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wax — to grow
  15. last — final
  16. squash — the sport
  17. land — to come down
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. last — to go on
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rock — a stone

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