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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.

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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: wake · field · bulb · chest · wave · spell · craft · leaves

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bulb — for light
  3. field — for sport
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. spell — a short time
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. spell — letters
  15. field — farmland
  16. chest — a box
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. craft — boats
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. field — a subject
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. chest — of your body
  24. leaves — to go away

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