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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rash — a series
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. present — there
  24. bulb — for light

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