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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kid — child
  10. bulb — for light
  11. club — for golf
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — thin
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. club — a group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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