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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: sharp · bulb · mug · toast · leaves · wave · game · track

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. game — wild animals
  3. toast — bread
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mug — a face
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bulb — for light
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mug — to rob
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bulb — for light
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. track — a song
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. sharp — clever
  22. game — a match
  23. track — a path
  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