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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. land — to come down
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rash — hasty
  8. land — ground
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bulb — for light
  14. land — a country
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fork — a garden tool

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