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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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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 · track · rest · bulb · mark · ruler · clip · foot

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. clip — to cut
  9. track — to keep track
  10. clip — a video
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. track — a song
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. clip — for paper
  21. track — a path
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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