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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
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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: bulb · temple · ground · firm · deal · wind · wax · rush

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wind — moving air
  15. firm — steady
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ground — a position
  18. firm — a company
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. firm — decided
  21. ground — crushed
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ground — the earth

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