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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. charge — a price
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. tear — to rip
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kick — in football
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. charge — in control
  21. fork — in a road
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. charge — electricity

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