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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 116 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. present — the time now
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rash — a series
  9. club — for dancing
  10. present — a gift
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stem — to come from
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. hand — help
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. club — for golf
  20. present — there
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. club — a group
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rash — hasty

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