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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rest — a break
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. fall — the season
  5. mate — to breed
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mate — a partner
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hand — help
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hand — in cards

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