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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · mug · cell · sharp · wake · season · dip · bulb

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wake — a trail
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. swing — to play on
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mug — a face
  12. bulb — for light
  13. season — of the year
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cell — a phone
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mug — a cup
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. swing — in golf
  23. season — in sport
  24. mug — to rob

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