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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. drill — a practice
  14. game — wild animals
  15. drill — army training
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. game — a match
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. toast — bread

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