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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: spell · tear · bulb · wave · wind · pit · row · roll

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pit — a hole
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. row — to paddle
  8. tear — from crying
  9. row — a line
  10. bulb — for light
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. spell — letters
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. tear — to rip
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. roll — a list
  21. spell — magic
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. spell — a short time

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