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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. shower — to wash
  7. swing — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kid — to tease
  14. swing — in golf
  15. shower — rain
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. swing — to play on
  21. kid — child
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mouse — for a computer

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