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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rest — what's left
  11. row — a line
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — a break
  22. hand — help
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stem — to come from

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