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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. swing — to play on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. swing — music
  19. hand — help
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. hand — in cards
  23. wake — a trail
  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