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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ground — a position
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bank — for money
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bank — for money
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bank — of a river

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