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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. lash — an eyelash
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. foot — a measure
  5. land — to come down
  6. mate — to breed
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. cap — a lid
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mate — a friend
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cap — of ice
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. land — a country
  18. cap — a hat
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. land — ground
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. straw — a straw man
  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