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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bulb — for light
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. suit — to fit
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. drill — a practice
  8. squash — the sport
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. suit — in cards
  11. drill — the tool
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bulb — for light
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mark — a grade
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. squash — to crush
  22. drill — army training
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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