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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. present — a gift
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. present — the time now
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. band — a music group
  12. lean — thin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. present — there
  15. band — a ring
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hand — help
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fine — all right
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fine — high quality
  24. lean — to bend

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