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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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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: season · dip · shower · bass · bulb · wake · mate · bowl

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. season — in sport
  3. shower — to wash
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wake — a trail
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. season — of the year
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. shower — rain
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — low music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bulb — for light
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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