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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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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kid — child
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. date — the fruit
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. kid — to tease

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