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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.

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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 · cold · bulb · mouse · swing · suit · tear · chair

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — music
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tear — from crying
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cold — an illness
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cold — not warm
  17. tear — to rip
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. swing — to play on

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