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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. game — a match
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mark — a grade
  8. spell — magic
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. spell — letters
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rush — hurry

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