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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bulb — for light
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. clip — a video
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — music
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. clip — to cut
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. charge — in control
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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