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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. root — of a word
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. file — a document
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. file — a tool
  8. last — finally
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. root — the cause
  18. file — a line of people
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mug — a face
  22. bulb — for light
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. lash — to lash out

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