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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.

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: bulb · bass · spring · wave · sharp · file · mouse · cue

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spring — of water
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bass — low music
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. file — a document
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. spring — the season
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spring — a coil
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. file — a tool
  24. bass — the instrument

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