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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 120 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bulb — for light
  4. land — ground
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fall — the season
  8. bear — the animal
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. land — a country
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. land — to come down
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fall — to drop

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