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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. swing — music
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lean — thin
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rash — a series
  12. object — an aim
  13. bulb — for light
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rash — hasty
  16. degree — from a university
  17. squash — to crush
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. object — to protest
  20. squash — the sport
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lean — to bend
  24. squash — the vegetable

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