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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: pound · face · rush · wave · bulb · wound · saw · bat

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. face — to confront
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rush — hurry

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