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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: lie · staff · dip · wind · pitch · wake · wave · bulb

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wind — moving air
  5. staff — employees
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bulb — for light
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. staff — employees
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lie — to recline
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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