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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. spring — of water
  6. bulb — for light
  7. degree — temperature
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. degree — from a university
  16. net — after costs
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. spring — a coil
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. spring — the season
  24. pass — to spend time

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