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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bulb — for light
  7. last — finally
  8. bound — certain
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. last — to go on
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bound — obliged
  17. last — final
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bulb — for light

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