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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 120 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: lean · bulb · craft · wax · spring · nail · arm · can

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lean — thin
  6. wax — to grow
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. craft — boats
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. lean — to bend
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. craft — a skill
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bulb — for light

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