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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mate — to breed
  9. root — of a word
  10. tube — a container
  11. root — the cause
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bulb — for light
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mate — a friend
  18. staff — employees
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. tube — in a tire

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