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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kid — child
  5. bulb — for light
  6. march — the month
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. kid — to tease
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. march — music
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. march — the month
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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