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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: pop · bat · lean · foot · bulb · shower · wake · ball

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pop — music
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ball — a great time
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bulb — for light
  18. shower — rain
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. lean — thin

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