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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: wave · mate · sharp · hide · can · rush · chest · bulb

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bulb — for light
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. can — a tin
  12. sharp — clever
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bulb — for light
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. can — a tin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. hide — animal skin

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