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

Word bank: wave · bore · wake · ground · wound · bulb · rest · stick

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rest — a break
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ground — a position
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wave — with your hand

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