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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bulb — for light
  3. last — finally
  4. object — an aim
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. swing — to play on
  7. game — a match
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. object — a thing
  10. swing — music
  11. last — final
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. object — to protest
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pitch — completely
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. last — to go on
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — wild animals
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. swing — in golf

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