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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. staff — a stick
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. key — the most important part
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mark — a grade
  14. key — for a lock
  15. staff — employees
  16. hand — help
  17. key — in music
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. hand — in cards
  24. staff — employees

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