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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: ball · wave · pitcher · bulb · spell · rush · perch · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ball — a great time
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. spell — letters
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rest — a break
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. spell — magic
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bulb — for light

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