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

Word bank: fall · bulb · club · bank · degree · wave · face · land

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. face — to point toward
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. degree — from a university
  8. land — to come down
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fall — to drop
  13. land — a country
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. club — for dancing
  16. land — ground
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. fall — the season
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bank — for money
  22. degree — temperature
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

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