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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. content — happy
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mug — a face
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chair — a leader
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. content — the amount
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mug — a cup
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bulb — for light
  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