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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: dip · row · net · fall · bulb · object · wave · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. object — an aim
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. net — for catching
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bulb — for light
  12. object — to protest
  13. band — a music group
  14. fall — to drop
  15. net — in sport
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. net — after costs
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. row — a line
  23. bulb — for light
  24. object — a thing

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