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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: bulb · stand · tear · mouse · wave · net · spell · bay

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. net — after costs
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — magic
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spell — letters
  11. net — for catching
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stand — to bear
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. net — in sport
  24. wave — of the sea

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