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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lie — to recline
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mark — a grade
  23. object — a thing
  24. bulb — of a plant

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