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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: bulb · swing · rush · mouse · mate · plane · hide · degree

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. swing — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. plane — a tool
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mate — a partner
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mate — a friend

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