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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: leaves · rock · arm · wax · bass · bulb · object · temple

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bass — low music
  17. wax — to grow
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wax — for sculpting

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