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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bulb — for light
  4. foot — a measure
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fall — the season
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. saw — the tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. foot — the bottom

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