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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.

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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: nail · spell · ground · wax · jam · present · bulb · net

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. ground — a position
  5. spell — a short time
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ground — crushed
  10. present — a gift
  11. spell — magic
  12. present — there
  13. net — in sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. spell — letters
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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