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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lie — to recline
  5. club — for dancing
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bulb — for light
  13. club — for golf
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. season — in sport
  16. kick — in football
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bound — certain
  20. swing — music
  21. rash — a series
  22. swing — in golf
  23. season — of the year
  24. club — a group

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