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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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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bulb — for light
  3. season — of the year
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. land — a country
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. season — in sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rock — music
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fall — the season
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rock — a stone
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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