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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. band — a ring
  10. rule — government
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. band — a music group
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rule — a law
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mug — a cup
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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