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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. present — there
  6. club — for golf
  7. mate — to breed
  8. charge — in control
  9. mate — a friend
  10. charge — electricity
  11. present — a gift
  12. cold — not warm
  13. present — the time now
  14. bulb — for light
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cold — an illness
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. charge — a price
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bulb — for light
  22. club — a group
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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