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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: wax · bulb · mine · bay · chest · mug · date · branch

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wax — to grow
  6. chest — a box
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. branch — a division
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mug — a face
  24. branch — of a bank

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