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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pop — music
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wound — an injury
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pop — soda
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. board — to get on
  11. fine — high quality
  12. board — a committee
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fine — all right
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bulb — of a plant

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