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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. toast — bread
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. degree — an amount
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kid — to tease
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. chair — a leader
  14. kid — child
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. degree — from a university
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. degree — temperature
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. ruler — a monarch

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