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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 116 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. hand — help
  5. swing — music
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bulb — for light

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