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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 116 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rule — a law
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rule — government
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. dip — to sink
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. branch — a division
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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