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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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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: perch · bulb · kick · key · face · tube · row · wave

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — the most important part
  6. tube — the underground
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. face — to confront
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. tube — a container
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. key — in music
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. row — a line
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bulb — for light
  23. face — part of the head
  24. kick — in football

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