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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 116 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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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: bulb · bear · bass · rule · wave · rash · snap · wax

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rash — a series
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rule — to rule out

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