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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — for a lock
  7. swing — music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. swing — in golf
  14. kick — in football
  15. key — the most important part
  16. lie — to recline
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bulb — for light
  19. key — in music
  20. face — to confront
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. face — part of the head
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kick — a thrill

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