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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · kick · mate · wave · chair · bulb

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mate — to breed
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. tear — to rip
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — in football

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