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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: mug · wound · wind · leaves · rush · bulb · wave · bat

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mug — a face
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wave — with your hand

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