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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: present · rule · tear · bulb · date · wave · craft · roll

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. present — there
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rule — a law
  7. roll — a cake
  8. craft — a skill
  9. tear — from crying
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bulb — for light
  17. present — the time now
  18. craft — boats
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. roll — a list
  22. present — a gift
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rule — government

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