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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bulb — for light
  3. key — the most important part
  4. chair — a leader
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. root — of a word
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. key — in music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. root — of a plant
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. key — for a lock
  19. root — the cause
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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