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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. field — a subject
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bulb — for light
  5. squash — to crush
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. kid — to tease
  10. squash — the sport
  11. firm — a company
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — decided
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. firm — steady
  19. saw — the tool
  20. field — for sport
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. kid — child
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. field — farmland

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