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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 120 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. season — of the year
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — to paddle
  16. foot — a measure
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lash — an eyelash

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