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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 120 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 · board · sharp · foot · bowl · squash · rash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. board — a committee
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. squash — the sport
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. board — to get on
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. foot — a measure

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