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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. object — a thing
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — music
  6. chip — to eat
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. object — an aim
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fall — the season
  15. wake — a trail
  16. chip — for betting
  17. spring — of water
  18. object — to protest
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. swing — to play on
  22. spring — the season
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. craft — boats

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