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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 · hand · bulb · stand · land · drill · date · chip

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. hand — help
  7. chip — for betting
  8. drill — army training
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. land — ground
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. land — a country
  21. stand — to bear
  22. drill — a practice
  23. hand — in cards
  24. land — to come down

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