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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · wave · pitcher · snap · bulb · bass · lie · wake

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. staff — employees
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bulb — for light
  6. snap — to click
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bass — low music
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lie — to recline

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