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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: game · season · bulb · fall · arm · wake · pop · hand

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. season — in sport
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. game — a match
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wake — a trail
  12. hand — help
  13. season — of the year
  14. pop — music
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pop — soda
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pop — to visit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hand — part of the body

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