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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cap — a lid
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. root — the cause
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — to drop
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fall — the season
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cap — a hat
  19. swing — music
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mine — for digging
  22. root — of a word
  23. bulb — for light
  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