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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 · bulb · saw · rock · fork · leaves · ball · hand

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rock — music
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ball — a great time
  24. hand — help

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