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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. season — of the year
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. season — in sport
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fall — to drop
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — the season
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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