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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. game — a match
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. game — wild animals
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — a line
  8. tear — from crying
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. plane — a tool
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. tear — from crying
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. tear — to rip
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rush — to hurry
  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