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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bulb — for light
  3. key — in music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cell — a phone
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. kid — child
  15. bat — the animal
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bulb — for light
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fan — a supporter

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