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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bulb — for light
  6. clip — to cut
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bulb — for light
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. saw — the tool
  19. clip — for paper
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. clip — a video
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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