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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: bowl · pound · bear · bulb · board · last · dip · wax

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. board — to get on
  6. last — finally
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. board — a committee
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bulb — for light
  14. last — to go on
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pound — a weight
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. board — a flat piece

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