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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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. key — the most important part
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. charge — a price
  9. key — in music
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. key — for a lock
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. charge — in control
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bowl — to roll

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