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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spell — magic
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wound — an injury
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. spell — letters
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. nail — on a finger

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