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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in 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. mine — an explosive
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. club — for golf
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. club — a group
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mouse — the animal

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