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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. file — a document
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. file — a tool
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. dip — to sink
  17. march — the month
  18. ball — a dance
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bulb — for light
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. file — a line of people
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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