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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. present — there
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rest — what's left
  14. present — a gift
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rest — a break
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stock — goods
  22. snap — to click
  23. present — the time now
  24. cabinet — ministers

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