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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 120 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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. club — for golf
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. charge — a price
  9. mug — to rob
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. charge — in control
  17. club — for dancing
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mug — a face
  21. club — a group
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. lie — to recline

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