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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. hand — help
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hand — in cards
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. swing — music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. swing — to play on
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mine — for digging
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. coach — a trainer

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