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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 116 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. row — a line
  6. rush — hurry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bulb — for light
  11. file — a tool
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. club — a group
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. club — for golf
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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