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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. perch — the fish
  3. spring — of water
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cue — for pool
  6. staff — employees
  7. bulb — for light
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. staff — a stick
  10. craft — boats
  11. tear — from crying
  12. spring — the season
  13. tear — to rip
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. staff — employees
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. craft — a skill

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