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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ball — a great time
  4. present — there
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. game — a match
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bound — certain
  12. present — the time now
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. present — a gift
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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