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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bulb — for light
  4. swing — in golf
  5. track — a path
  6. last — to go on
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. track — a song
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bulb — for light
  12. last — final
  13. foot — a measure
  14. swing — music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. clip — to cut
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. clip — for paper
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. clip — a video
  23. swing — to play on
  24. temple — a place of worship

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