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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mine — for digging
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rash — a series
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pop — music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mine — an explosive

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