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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bark — to shout

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