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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. spring — of water
  6. lean — thin
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. club — for golf
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lean — to bend
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pop — music
  15. toast — bread
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spring — a coil
  18. club — a group
  19. spring — the season
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pop — soda
  22. bulb — for light
  23. club — for dancing
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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