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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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. kid — child
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. suit — in cards
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. suit — clothes
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — low music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. tube — a container

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