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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. net — after costs
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. net — for catching
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. ball — a round shape

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