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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kid — to tease
  5. shower — to wash
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. kid — child
  8. swing — music
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. swing — in golf
  12. squash — to crush
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. shower — rain
  16. plane — a tool
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ball — a dance
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. swing — to play on

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