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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rock — music
  7. ball — a dance
  8. present — the time now
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. present — a gift
  12. swing — in golf
  13. present — there
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. shower — rain
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rock — a stone
  24. shower — to wash

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