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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fall — the season
  4. march — the month
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. march — music
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. kick — in football
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fall — to drop
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lie — to recline
  20. march — the month
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — to crush
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bulb — for light

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