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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. staff — a stick
  3. file — a line of people
  4. chest — a box
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ball — a great time
  8. staff — employees
  9. cap — a hat
  10. staff — employees
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. chest — of your body
  14. swing — music
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cap — of ice
  19. season — of the year
  20. file — a document
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chest — of your body
  24. file — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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