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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 120 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: club · wave · bulb · staff · chest · foot · capital · rush

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. club — a group
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. staff — employees
  6. capital — a city
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. club — for dancing
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bulb — for light
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. staff — a stick
  21. capital — money
  22. staff — employees
  23. chest — a box
  24. club — for golf

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