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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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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 · fork · march · wave · snap · bulb · perch · fall

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. snap — to click
  5. march — music
  6. perch — the fish
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bulb — for light
  11. march — the month
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. march — the month
  22. fall — the season
  23. bulb — for light
  24. perch — for a bird

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