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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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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: present · bulb · snap · land · pound · bass · wave · last

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bulb — for light
  5. snap — to click
  6. land — to come down
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. present — there
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. land — a country
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bass — the fish
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. present — a gift
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. land — ground
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. present — the time now
  21. last — to go on
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bass — low music

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