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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cap — a lid
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wound — an injury
  7. swing — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. kick — in football
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wound — an injury
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mine — belonging to me

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