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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. net — in sport
  4. drill — army training
  5. net — for catching
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wind — moving air
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. face — to confront
  16. wound — an injury
  17. net — after costs
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bulb — for light
  22. drill — a practice
  23. face — to point toward
  24. drill — the tool

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