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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 jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. chest — a box
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. chest — of your body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. key — in music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bark — to shout
  20. chest — of your body
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bulb — for light
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bark — of a tree

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