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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.

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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: staff · wake · season · bulb · stick · wound · wave · net

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wake — a trail
  7. staff — employees
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bulb — for light
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. staff — employees
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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