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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. staff — employees
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — all right
  7. cell — in biology
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mine — for digging
  21. kick — in football
  22. cell — a phone
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cell — in a prison

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