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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. firm — a company
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — a leader
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. branch — a division
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. firm — steady
  24. rush — a thrill

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