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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rest — what's left
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bound — tied together
  9. swing — music
  10. bound — certain
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. present — there
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bound — obliged
  19. swing — in golf
  20. snap — to click
  21. rest — a break
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rest — what's left

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