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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. march — the month
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. march — the month
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. march — music
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pass — a permit

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