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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cell — a phone
  4. present — there
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. suit — in cards
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rash — a series
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. swing — in golf
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. dip — to sink
  15. perch — the fish
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cell — in biology
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rash — hasty
  20. swing — music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. present — the time now
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bulb — for light

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