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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cap — of ice
  4. swing — music
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bulb — for light
  9. swing — in golf
  10. roll — a cake
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. band — a music group
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. roll — a list
  22. cap — a lid
  23. band — a ring
  24. dip — a sauce

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