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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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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: net · face · shower · wave · date · stock · perch · bulb

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. net — after costs
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stock — shares
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. date — the fruit
  9. face — to confront
  10. stock — goods
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bulb — for light
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bulb — for light
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. shower — rain
  24. perch — the fish

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