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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: stick · bulb · present · march · track · straw · mate · wave

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. march — the month
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. track — a song
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. march — the month
  9. track — to keep track
  10. present — a gift
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mate — a friend
  13. present — the time now
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. march — music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. track — a path
  21. present — there
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bulb — of a plant

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