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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.

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: ruler · bulb · prune · wave · tube · straw · land · date

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. prune — to trim
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. land — a country
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. land — to come down
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. date — the fruit
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. land — ground
  22. bulb — for light
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ruler — a monarch

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