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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: bulb · wave · foot · bat · mouse · land · stick · last

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. land — to come down
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. land — a country
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. last — final
  11. land — ground
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. foot — a measure
  15. last — finally
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. last — to go on
  24. mouse — the animal

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