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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. content — the amount
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wind — moving air
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. content — happy
  24. wave — of the sea

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