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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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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cell — a phone
  3. object — a thing
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bulb — for light
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bulb — for light
  9. swing — music
  10. mate — a partner
  11. file — a document
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stock — goods
  15. dip — to sink
  16. file — a tool
  17. cell — in biology
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. object — to protest
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. object — an aim
  24. stock — shares

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