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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — a partner
  5. content — the amount
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. tube — a container
  11. land — ground
  12. content — happy
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mate — to breed
  16. land — a country
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. band — a ring
  19. mate — a friend
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. band — a music group
  22. land — to come down
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tube — the underground

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