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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rock — a stone
  8. club — a group
  9. rock — music
  10. face — to confront
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. face — part of the head
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. club — for golf
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bulb — of a plant

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