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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. shower — rain
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bank — for money
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pop — soda
  10. game — a match
  11. bank — of a river
  12. board — to get on
  13. pop — music
  14. rest — a break
  15. board — a committee
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — for light
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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