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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: wave · rush · bulb · stand · foot · chest · current · fall

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — electric
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rush — hurry
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. chest — a box
  15. current — happening now
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. current — of water
  21. fall — the season
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stand — to bear

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