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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: board · object · wake · fine · kid · bulb · wave · cell

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. kid — to tease
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. kid — child
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fine — all right
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bulb — for light
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. cell — in biology
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. board — a flat piece

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