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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mug — a cup
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mug — a face
  9. craft — boats
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. craft — a skill
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mug — to rob
  14. net — in sport
  15. shower — rain
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. net — for catching
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bulb — for light
  23. net — after costs
  24. bulb — of a plant

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