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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.

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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: present · current · bulb · calf · wake · bowl · wave · chair

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wake — a trail
  10. current — happening now
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. chair — a leader
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. current — electric
  16. present — there
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. present — the time now
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. current — of water
  24. chair — a professorship

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