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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 116 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: bowl · clip · suit · bulb · cabinet · saw · wave · kick

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. clip — to cut
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. clip — a video
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. kick — in football
  12. clip — for paper
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — the tool
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. suit — clothes
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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