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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. spell — magic
  4. bulb — for light
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. press — a publisher
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. press — newspapers
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. snap — to click
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cell — in biology
  23. press — to push
  24. bulb — for light

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