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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. row — a line
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. board — to get on
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ground — a position
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — a committee
  14. bulb — for light
  15. scale — in music
  16. row — to paddle
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ground — the earth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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