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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. kid — child
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. can — a tin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. swing — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. swing — to play on
  24. can — to be able to

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