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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: wave · bat · cabinet · bass · ruler · hand · bulb · spell

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bass — low music
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spell — letters
  22. hand — help
  23. spell — magic
  24. hand — part of the body

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