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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. current — happening now
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. current — of water
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pitch — completely
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. current — electric
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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