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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. file — a tool
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. file — a document
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. kid — child
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cue — a hint
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bound — certain
  24. cue — a signal

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