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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. shower — rain
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pop — soda
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. roll — a list
  15. bulb — for light
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wind — moving air
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pop — music
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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