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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: can · tear · wax · roll · date · bulb · lie · spell

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lie — to recline
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bulb — for light
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wax — to grow
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. date — the fruit
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bulb — for light
  15. roll — a list
  16. tear — from crying
  17. spell — magic
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. can — a tin
  20. spell — letters
  21. tear — from crying
  22. can — to be able to
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. can — a tin

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