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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. can — to be able to
  4. object — a thing
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. sharp — clever
  7. object — to protest
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bulb — for light
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — an aim
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wake — a trail
  15. can — a tin
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bulb — for light
  23. court — of a king
  24. swing — music

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