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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. kid — child
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bulb — for light
  12. swing — music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. ground — a position
  15. kid — to tease
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ground — crushed
  20. swing — in golf
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bulb — for light
  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