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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rash — a series
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — wild animals
  7. can — a tin
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bat — the animal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. game — a match
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rest — what's left

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