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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — newspapers
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. drill — a practice
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. press — to push
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. press — a publisher
  24. lash — an eyelash

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