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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · tear · wave · ball · club · bulb · dip · rush

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. tear — from crying
  11. club — for dancing
  12. tear — to rip
  13. ball — a great time
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. dip — to sink
  20. tear — from crying
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rush — to 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