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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. swing — to play on
  6. last — final
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fall — the season
  9. face — part of the head
  10. last — finally
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — for light
  13. club — a group
  14. last — to go on
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. face — to confront
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. swing — music
  24. date — on the calendar

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