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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
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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: fan · bass · mug · mine · last · bulb · wave · rash

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. last — final
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mug — a face
  19. last — finally
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bulb — for light
  22. last — to go on
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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