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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. race — humankind
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fine — all right
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fine — high quality

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