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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. object — an aim
  3. land — ground
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. object — to protest
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. object — a thing
  21. mate — to breed
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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