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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. roll — a list
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. last — finally
  7. date — the fruit
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. last — to go on
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bulb — for light
  14. file — a line of people
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. roll — a cake
  19. last — final
  20. bulb — for light
  21. file — a document
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. file — a tool

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