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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bear — the animal
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spring — of water
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. lie — to recline
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. swing — to play on
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spring — the season
  20. swing — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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