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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 120 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. craft — a skill
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bulb — for light
  6. craft — boats
  7. track — to keep track
  8. ground — a position
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wind — moving air
  13. track — a song
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. track — a path
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. suit — in cards
  24. lash — an eyelash

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