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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. firm — a company
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ground — the earth
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rush — hurry
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. scale — in music
  23. ground — a position
  24. scale — for weighing

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