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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. race — a contest
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. staff — a stick
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. court — of a king
  10. race — the arms race
  11. court — of law
  12. race — humankind
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stand — to bear
  17. court — for sport
  18. rush — hurry
  19. branch — a division
  20. staff — employees
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. staff — employees
  24. rush — to hurry

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