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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spring — the season
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. season — of the year
  19. squash — the sport
  20. spring — of water
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. sharp — clever

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