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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. charge — a price
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fall — to drop
  12. staff — employees
  13. fall — to drop
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. charge — in control
  19. staff — a stick
  20. swing — in golf
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fall — the season
  23. staff — employees
  24. swing — music

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