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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bay · field · stand · spring · foot · wax · wake · bulb

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. spring — the season
  5. bulb — for light
  6. field — for sport
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bulb — for light
  12. field — a subject
  13. wax — to grow
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. foot — a measure
  17. field — farmland
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. spring — of water

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