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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rock — music
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. shower — rain
  12. swing — in golf
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. swing — music
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. key — the most important part
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rock — to move gently

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