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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. swing — music
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mark — a grade
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bulb — for light
  15. snap — to click
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bulb — for light

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