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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. swing — in golf
  5. suit — in cards
  6. shower — rain
  7. swing — music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. last — final
  10. bulb — for light
  11. swing — to play on
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wound — an injury
  14. suit — clothes
  15. last — finally
  16. shower — to wash
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. tube — a container
  20. last — to go on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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