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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — an illness
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mug — a face
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. pitcher — a jug

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