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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: ground · snap · game · present · bulb · prune · kick · wave

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kick — in football
  4. present — there
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ground — the earth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. present — the time now
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. ground — a position
  14. bulb — for light
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. ground — crushed
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. snap — to click
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. present — a gift

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