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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. present — a gift
  6. swing — in golf
  7. present — there
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. last — to go on
  10. shower — to wash
  11. wax — to grow
  12. last — finally
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. present — the time now
  15. swing — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. last — final
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. row — a line
  22. shower — rain
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bulb — of a plant

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