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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 116 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: pitcher · wave · face · bulb · spell · chip · season · tube

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spell — letters
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chip — for betting
  12. face — part of the head
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. spell — magic
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — of the year
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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