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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wake — a trail
  3. swing — to play on
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — hasty
  8. swing — music
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. suit — clothes
  12. branch — a division
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rash — a series
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. present — a gift
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. swing — in golf
  22. present — there
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. suit — to fit

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