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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. band — a ring
  6. row — a line
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. club — a group
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. can — a tin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bulb — for light
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. row — to paddle
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. band — a music group
  22. can — a tin
  23. kick — in football
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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