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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. file — a line of people
  7. dip — to sink
  8. file — a tool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mate — a partner
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bulb — for light
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. file — a document
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stand — for spectators

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