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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mate — a friend
  13. firm — a company
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — the fish
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. firm — steady
  19. mate — to breed
  20. firm — decided
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bass — low music
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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