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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: lean · season · hide · ground · hand · wave · bulb · club

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ground — a position
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ground — crushed
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. season — in sport
  12. lean — thin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — of the year
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. club — for golf
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. club — a group
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. ground — the earth

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