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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 116 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bulb — for light
  13. board — to get on
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. land — to come down
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. land — a country
  19. board — a committee
  20. land — ground
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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