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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. shower — to wash
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. swing — to play on
  15. shower — rain
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. branch — a division
  18. bulb — for light
  19. swing — in golf
  20. kick — in football
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. swing — music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wave — of the sea

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