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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pop — music
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pop — soda
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. court — of law
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rash — hasty
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rash — a series
  18. court — for sport
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. court — of a king
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rash — on the 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