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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mine — for digging
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. row — a line
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mug — a face
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. row — to paddle
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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