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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bank — of a river
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ground — a position
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. capital — a city
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — the earth
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. deal — to handle
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. capital — money
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bank — for money
  24. bulb — for light

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