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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pop — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lie — to recline
  10. row — a line
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. swing — music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pop — soda
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pop — to visit
  24. ruler — a monarch

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