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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. sharp — clever
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. root — the cause
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kid — child
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bat — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mug — to rob
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. sharp — exactly

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