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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rest — a break
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. swing — music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cap — of ice
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mouse — the animal

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