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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bulb — for light
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. present — there
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. fall — the season
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. fall — to drop
  19. swing — to play on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. swing — music
  22. mine — for digging
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wax — in the ear

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