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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — to come from
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mate — a partner
  9. swing — in golf
  10. ball — a great time
  11. kick — in football
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fall — the season

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