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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: plane · bark · bulb · jam · mate · object · wave · fall

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mate — a friend
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fall — to drop
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. object — to protest
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. object — a thing

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