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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. plane — a tool
  5. track — to keep track
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cap — a hat
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — a path
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cap — a lid
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. track — a song
  24. patient — a sick person

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