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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: wave · kid · stick · pitch · object · last · lean · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. last — final
  3. kid — to tease
  4. object — to protest
  5. kid — child
  6. lean — to bend
  7. object — an aim
  8. lean — thin
  9. object — a thing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. last — finally
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. last — to go on
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wave — of the sea

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