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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 116 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. court — for sport
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — to come from
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. court — of a king
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mate — a friend
  13. court — of law
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pound — a weight
  24. lash — to lash out

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