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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lean — thin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — in sport
  5. bound — certain
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. net — for catching
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fine — all right
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bound — tied together
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lean — to bend
  21. net — after costs
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bound — obliged
  24. swing — to play on

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