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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bat — the animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fall — the season
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. swing — music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bat — in an idiom

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