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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. bulb — for light
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rest — a break
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spell — a short time
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mate — a friend
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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