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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 120 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mug — a face
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cell — a phone
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. present — there
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cell — in biology
  9. present — a gift
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. present — the time now
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. firm — a company
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. firm — decided
  18. bulb — for light
  19. firm — steady
  20. mug — a cup
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mug — to rob

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