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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. key — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ball — a great time
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ball — a dance
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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