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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cold — not warm
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bass — low music
  16. bound — certain
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cold — an illness
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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