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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 120 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. band — a music group
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. kick — in football
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a ring
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. foot — part of the body

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