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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. roll — a list
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. suit — to fit
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bound — obliged
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ground — the earth
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mine — for digging
  17. snap — to click
  18. bound — certain
  19. ground — a position
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wave — a sudden rise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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