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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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. swing — to play on
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. swing — in golf
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. saw — the tool
  15. swing — music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. tube — a container
  18. last — finally
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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