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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. row — a line
  3. ball — a dance
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rush — hurry
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pop — music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bulb — for light
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — animal skin

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