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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 124 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bat — the animal
  8. branch — a division
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. season — of the year
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. swing — in golf
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. swing — to play on
  21. season — in sport
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lean — thin

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