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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fall — the season
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — to tire
  19. swing — to play on
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bore — to drill
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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