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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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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: arm · kick · spring · craft · chip · bulb · date · wave

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chip — for betting
  3. craft — a skill
  4. date — the fruit
  5. spring — a coil
  6. craft — boats
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. spring — of water
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chip — to eat
  15. spring — the season
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. kick — in football
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kick — with a leg

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