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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. spell — letters
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. spell — magic
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bulb — for light
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. spell — a short time

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