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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bear — the animal
  4. snap — to click
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rock — music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rock — a stone
  23. tear — to rip
  24. date — the fruit

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