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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bear — the animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. firm — steady
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cell — in biology
  15. firm — a company
  16. kick — in football
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bulb — of a plant

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