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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. swing — in golf
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mine — for digging
  8. swing — music
  9. spell — letters
  10. cap — a lid
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bulb — for light
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. spell — magic
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cap — of ice
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mine — belonging to me

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