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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. shower — rain
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pound — a weight
  17. chip — to eat
  18. shower — to wash
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rest — a break
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. ball — a dance

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