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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. field — for sport
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pit — a hole
  13. field — farmland
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pit — in a race
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. prune — to trim
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. field — a subject

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