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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. object — a thing
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. object — an aim
  11. mark — a grade
  12. degree — temperature
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. degree — from a university
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. object — to protest
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mark — a trace

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