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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.

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: cabinet · straw · wax · rock · kick · trunk · bulb · season

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kick — in football
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. season — of the year
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rock — a stone
  22. season — in sport
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wax — to grow

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