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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. snap — to click
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. field — a subject
  10. prune — to trim
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. field — farmland
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bank — for money
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. field — for sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. prune — the fruit

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