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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. row — a line
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to click
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. row — to paddle
  13. root — of a plant
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. root — the cause
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lie — to recline
  24. root — of a word

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