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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: stem · wave · bulb · perch · pound · ball · cell · rush

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rush — hurry
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stem — to come from

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