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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bank — for money
  7. swing — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mate — a partner
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mate — to breed
  14. row — a line
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. kick — in football
  17. bound — obliged
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bank — of a river
  20. dip — to sink
  21. swing — to play on
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. swing — in golf
  24. kick — with a leg

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