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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. hand — help
  3. net — after costs
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bulb — for light
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. hand — in cards
  10. net — for catching
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. net — in sport
  21. rock — music
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rash — on the skin

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