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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mug — a face
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. kid — child
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. court — for sport
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mug — a cup
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. court — of a king
  14. craft — a skill
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. court — of law
  19. craft — boats
  20. rest — a break
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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