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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. scale — in music
  8. rash — hasty
  9. suit — in cards
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. clip — to cut
  13. suit — to fit
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. suit — clothes
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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