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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: bulb · mouse · fan · prune · pitcher · wave · perch · leaves

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bulb — for light
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wave — with your hand

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