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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 124 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mug — to rob
  8. object — an aim
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. object — a thing
  17. bulb — for light
  18. object — to protest
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mug — a face
  21. face — to confront
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. straw — dry grass
  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