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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fall — to drop
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pop — to visit
  12. current — of water
  13. shower — rain
  14. fall — the season
  15. stem — to come from
  16. current — electric
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pop — soda
  21. current — happening now
  22. pop — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stem — a stem cell

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