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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.

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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: root · wave · bulb · bowl · game · present · kid · lash

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. present — a gift
  3. game — wild animals
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. root — the cause
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. game — a match
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. present — the time now
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. root — of a plant
  20. present — there
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. kid — child
  23. root — of a word
  24. bowl — a football final

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