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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. game — a match
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. charge — electricity
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. charge — a price
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. scale — size or range
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wake — a trail
  19. scale — in music
  20. charge — in control
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. stand — to bear
  24. game — wild animals

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