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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rest — a break
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lean — thin
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. tear — from crying

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