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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. hand — help
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. hand — in cards
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bulb — for light
  18. march — the month
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rush — hurry
  21. march — music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wound — an injury
  24. track — to keep track

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