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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rush — hurry

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