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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. craft — boats
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — in football
  6. press — newspapers
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. file — a document
  9. press — to push
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. net — after costs
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. net — for catching
  16. press — a publisher
  17. file — a line of people
  18. club — for golf
  19. craft — a skill
  20. club — a group
  21. net — in sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. file — a tool
  24. club — for dancing

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