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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: craft · bound · wake · bulb · cell · pit · wave · chest

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. chest — a box
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. craft — boats
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bound — certain
  22. chest — of your body
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wave — with your hand

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