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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mug — a face
  3. rash — a series
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rest — what's left
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bulb — for light
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rest — a break
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mug — to rob
  13. board — a committee
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rest — what's left
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. board — to get on
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rash — hasty
  24. clip — a video

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