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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lean — thin
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mug — a face
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lean — to bend
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mug — to rob
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mug — a cup
  21. chip — for betting
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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