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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bulb — for light
  14. suit — clothes
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hand — in cards
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wind — moving air

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