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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.

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: rock · wave · root · fan · bulb · band · mouse · safe

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rock — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. band — a music group
  15. root — the cause
  16. band — a ring
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rock — a stone
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bulb — for light
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bulb — for light
  24. root — of a word

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