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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
468
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: cabinet · wax · current · clip · bulb · lash · tube · pound

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. clip — a video
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bulb — for light
  7. current — of water
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. current — electric
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — happening now
  19. tube — a container
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bulb — for light
  23. clip — to cut
  24. wax — to grow

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