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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bulb — for light
  3. field — for sport
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. field — farmland
  15. swing — to play on
  16. ball — a great time
  17. swing — music
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. field — a subject
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bore — to tire
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bore — to drill

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