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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: bulb · swing · wax · plane · wound · ball · chip · root

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. swing — to play on
  4. ball — a great time
  5. root — of a word
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. plane — a tool
  17. swing — music
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wax — for sculpting

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