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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. row — a line
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. row — to paddle
  18. land — to come down
  19. cell — in biology
  20. land — a country
  21. bulb — for light
  22. land — ground
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cell — a phone

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