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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bore — to drill
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. court — of law
  13. scale — in music
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. spell — magic
  21. stem — to come from
  22. spell — letters
  23. bulb — for light
  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