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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. net — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — after costs
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — for catching
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rest — a break
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rock — music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. spell — magic
  21. tube — a container
  22. swing — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bulb — for light

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