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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — music
  6. staff — employees
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bank — for money
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bear — the animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bank — for money
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  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