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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — to handle
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bulb — for light
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. season — in sport
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. season — of the year

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