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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bulb — for light
  4. swing — music
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. swing — to play on
  10. spring — of water
  11. staff — employees
  12. spring — a coil
  13. dip — to sink
  14. spring — the season
  15. charge — in control
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rock — music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. staff — employees
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rush — a thrill

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