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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ball — a dance
  3. season — of the year
  4. face — to confront
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mark — a grade
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. ball — a great time
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mark — a trace
  12. kick — in football
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. drill — army training
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. season — in sport
  19. face — part of the head
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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