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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bulb — for light
  10. scale — size or range
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bulb — for light
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. sharp — clever
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitch — completely
  24. kick — with a leg

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