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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — an illness
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fine — high quality
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cue — a hint
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cue — a signal
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fine — all right
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. leaves — to go away

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