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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pitch — completely
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cold — an illness
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. shower — to wash
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. chip — to eat
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chip — for betting
  23. shower — rain
  24. toast — bread

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