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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. capital — money
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bank — for money
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bank — for money
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. march — the month
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bulb — for light
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. march — music
  24. bank — of a river

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