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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bulb — for light
  5. firm — steady
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. drill — the tool
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. drill — army training
  14. rash — a series
  15. firm — a company
  16. sharp — clever
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. firm — decided
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rash — on the skin

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