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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. band — a ring
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. lie — to recline
  10. spring — the season
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tube — a container
  13. spring — of water
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. ball — a great time
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. band — a music group
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ball — a dance
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. tube — in a tire

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