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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pop — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pop — soda
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. lie — to recline
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bulb — for light
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. leaves — to go away

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