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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 120 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. saw — the tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bulb — for light
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. charge — in control
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. charge — a price

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