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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 124 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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ground — a position
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ground — the earth
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pit — a hole
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. roll — a list
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bulb — for light
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. lash — an eyelash

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