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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. season — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spell — letters
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. land — ground
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. season — of the year
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. land — to come down
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — a country
  22. spell — magic
  23. sharp — clever
  24. season — to add flavour

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