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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bulb — for light
  9. capital — a city
  10. rest — what's left
  11. capital — money
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rest — what's left
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rest — a break
  24. wave — of the sea

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