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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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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: wave · hand · cap · plane · bulb · wax · field · board

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. field — a subject
  6. plane — a tool
  7. field — farmland
  8. hand — help
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. board — a committee
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. field — for sport
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cap — a hat
  18. board — to get on
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cap — of ice

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