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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 116 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: ball · cell · fine · craft · rush · wave · row · bulb

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. fine — high quality
  6. row — a line
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. craft — boats
  13. bulb — for light
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. fine — all right
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ball — a round shape

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