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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. club — for golf
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. club — a group
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stem — to come from
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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