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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bound — tied together
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hand — help
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wound — an injury
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bound — certain
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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