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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — to paddle
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wind — moving air
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rule — a law
  21. row — a line
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rule — government

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