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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ball — a great time
  5. row — a line
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. can — a tin
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. swing — to play on
  16. can — to be able to
  17. swing — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — a tin
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. swing — in golf
  23. kick — in football
  24. row — to paddle

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