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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. key — in music
  3. club — for golf
  4. face — to point toward
  5. march — the month
  6. face — to confront
  7. key — the most important part
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. march — the month
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rock — music
  16. march — music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bulb — for light
  19. club — a group
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. club — for dancing
  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