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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bulb — for light
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. stem — to come from
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. present — there
  16. bulb — for light
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. present — the time now
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. present — a gift
  24. pound — for dogs

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