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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: rush · chair · pass · pound · sharp · bulb · season · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chair — a leader
  16. season — of the year
  17. pass — a permit
  18. season — in sport
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. sharp — with an edge

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