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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 120 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stand — to bear
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wake — a trail
  15. band — a ring
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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