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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bank — for money
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cold — not warm
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. mate — a partner
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bank — for money
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bank — of a river
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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