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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. net — for catching
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rest — what's left
  14. net — after costs
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rest — a break
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. net — in sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bulb — of a plant

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