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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bulb — for light
  6. club — a group
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. club — for golf
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ball — a great time
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ball — a dance
  22. club — for dancing
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. temple — a place of worship

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