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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: lie · bulb · pop · deal · march · wave · trunk · swing

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. swing — music
  3. march — the month
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bulb — for light
  8. march — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. deal — to handle
  11. march — the month
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pop — music
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pop — soda
  24. wave — with your hand

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