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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wind — moving air
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. swing — music
  19. pass — a permit
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. game — a match
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rush — to hurry

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