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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. swing — in golf
  4. roll — a list
  5. fall — the season
  6. board — to get on
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. board — a committee
  9. fall — to drop
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. swing — music
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. date — the fruit
  14. tube — a container
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. tube — the underground
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. swing — to play on
  24. roll — a cake

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