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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. swing — to play on
  6. root — of a word
  7. lie — to recline
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. file — a line of people
  11. charge — electricity
  12. swing — in golf
  13. file — a document
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. root — of a plant
  16. charge — a price
  17. root — the cause
  18. snap — to click
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. charge — in control
  23. swing — music
  24. file — a tool

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