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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. track — a path
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. track — a song
  8. spring — the season
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spring — of water
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mate — a partner
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mate — to breed
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. track — to keep track

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