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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cue — a hint
  4. spring — the season
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. spring — of water
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cue — for pool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. scale — in music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chip — for betting

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