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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. snap — to click
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. land — a country
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. content — the amount
  16. ball — a great time
  17. content — happy
  18. bulb — for light
  19. land — ground
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bulb — for light
  22. land — to come down
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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