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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · march · squash · shower · bay · pitcher · wave · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. march — the month
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. shower — rain
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. shower — to wash
  16. march — music
  17. stem — to come from
  18. march — the month
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. squash — the vegetable

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