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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. swing — music
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bulb — for light
  5. shower — to wash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. swing — to play on
  17. root — the cause
  18. kid — child
  19. shower — rain
  20. root — of a plant
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. root — of a word
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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