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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. chip — for betting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bulb — for light
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chip — to eat
  16. roll — a cake
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bulb — for light
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. roll — a list
  22. saw — the tool
  23. key — in music
  24. lash — to lash out

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