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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mate — a partner
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cap — a hat
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — moving air
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cap — a lid
  21. swing — to play on
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bulb — for light

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