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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — steady
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — to point toward
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tube — a container
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. firm — decided
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bulb — of a plant

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