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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bulb — for light
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. spring — a coil
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. clip — to cut
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. clip — a video
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. spring — of water
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spring — the season
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stand — to bear
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. plane — an aircraft

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