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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ground — a position
  8. charge — a price
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pit — a hole
  13. charge — in control
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. row — to paddle
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ground — the earth
  20. charge — electricity
  21. perch — the fish
  22. ground — crushed
  23. row — a line
  24. perch — for a bird

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