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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.

Words on the sheet
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: hide · bulb · band · wake · calf · bass · staff · wave

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bass — low music
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bulb — for light
  10. staff — employees
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. staff — employees
  21. band — a music group
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. band — a ring
  24. staff — a stick

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