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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. rule — a law
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bound — obliged
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cue — a hint
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. swing — music
  12. cue — a signal
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bulb — for light
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bound — certain
  19. rule — government
  20. bulb — for light
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rule — to rule out
  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