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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wind — moving air
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lean — to bend
  12. race — the arms race
  13. lean — thin
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wind — moving air
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. current — happening now
  23. swing — music
  24. bulb — for light

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