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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chair — a leader
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. file — a line of people
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — to recline
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lash — an eyelash

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