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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chest — of your body
  7. root — of a word
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. season — of the year
  12. chest — a box
  13. root — the cause
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. kick — in football
  20. season — in sport
  21. chest — of your body
  22. snap — to click
  23. mark — a grade
  24. kick — a thrill

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