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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. current — happening now
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. drill — a practice
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. drill — army training
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. hand — help
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pop — music
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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