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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. field — for sport
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. charge — in control
  7. kid — child
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. field — farmland
  15. charge — a price
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. field — a subject
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kid — to tease
  24. lash — to lash out

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