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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bulb — for light
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mate — a friend
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pop — music
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. charge — in control
  19. wake — a trail
  20. charge — a price
  21. pop — soda
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mate — to breed
  24. lie — an untruth

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