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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pop — music
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. deal — to handle
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. season — in sport
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pop — to visit
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. season — of the year
  17. roll — a list
  18. mate — to breed
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. kick — in football

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