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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rest — what's left
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rest — a break
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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