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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. squash — to crush
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. court — for sport
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. squash — the sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. court — of law
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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