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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. swing — music
  3. pop — music
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. swing — in golf
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chest — a box
  13. pop — soda
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chest — of your body
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mark — a grade
  22. kick — in football
  23. swing — to play on
  24. temple — side of the head

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