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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. tube — a container
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. firm — steady
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lean — to bend
  12. club — for dancing
  13. present — the time now
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tube — the underground
  20. firm — decided
  21. bulb — for light
  22. present — there
  23. firm — a company
  24. lean — thin

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