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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. net — for catching
  2. bulb — for light
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bulb — for light
  7. net — after costs
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mug — a face
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mug — a cup
  13. net — in sport
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ground — the earth
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. branch — a division
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  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