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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. saw — the tool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — music
  9. capital — a city
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. swing — to play on
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rush — hurry
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bulb — for light
  22. swing — in golf
  23. capital — money
  24. saw — the tool

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