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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spring — the season
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. object — to protest
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. object — a thing
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. spring — of water
  15. last — to go on
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bulb — for light
  19. last — finally
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. object — an aim
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bulb — for light
  24. last — final

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