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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pop — music
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pop — soda
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bulb — for light
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. branch — a division
  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