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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: present · hide · wave · plane · bulb · game · rock · tube

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. tube — a container
  3. rock — a stone
  4. present — a gift
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tube — the underground
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rock — music
  11. game — a match
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bulb — for light
  14. present — the time now
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. present — there
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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