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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. march — the month
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bulb — for light
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bulb — for light
  14. swing — music
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. march — music
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mate — a partner
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. march — the month
  21. kick — in football
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bulb — of a plant

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