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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rest — a break
  7. staff — employees
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. chest — of your body
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. staff — a stick
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. staff — employees
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rest — what's left

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