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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: tear · club · kick · mine · swing · nail · leaves · bulb

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bulb — for light
  4. club — for golf
  5. swing — music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. tear — from crying
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bulb — for light
  18. club — for dancing
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. club — a group
  22. swing — in golf
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. tear — to rip

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