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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · bulb · wave · spell · deal · mouse · game · cold

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bulb — for light
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. game — wild animals
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cold — an illness
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cold — not warm
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. game — a kind of play

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