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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. march — the month
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. march — the month
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. march — music
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. branch — a division
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. current — electric
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. current — happening now
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bulb — for light
  22. date — the fruit
  23. current — of water
  24. pitch — completely

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