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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wound — an injury
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. snap — to click
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mine — for digging
  23. firm — decided
  24. wound — an injury

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