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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: straw · wax · bulb · perch · firm · bound · dip · hand

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. hand — in cards
  3. firm — decided
  4. hand — help
  5. bound — obliged
  6. dip — to sink
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wax — to grow
  14. firm — a company
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. firm — steady
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bound — certain
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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