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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. swing — music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. swing — to play on
  13. fine — all right
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. club — for golf
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chest — of your body
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. club — a group
  24. chip — to eat

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