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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 116 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mate — to breed
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mate — a partner
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lean — thin
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fall — the season
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wind — moving air
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fall — to drop

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