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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a line of people
  9. roll — a cake
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. band — a ring
  12. swing — music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. roll — a list
  15. band — a music group
  16. file — a tool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. swing — to play on
  22. file — a document
  23. swing — in golf
  24. calf — of the leg

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