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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bank — for money
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rest — what's left
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rest — a break
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bank — for money
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rest — what's left
  21. swing — music
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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