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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. craft — a skill
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. craft — boats
  24. cold — an illness

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