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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bass — low music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. court — of law
  8. present — there
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bulb — for light
  14. present — a gift
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. present — the time now
  19. court — for sport
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. tube — a container
  22. shower — to wash
  23. court — of a king
  24. bulb — for light

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