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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. degree — an amount
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bulb — for light
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cell — in biology
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — from a university
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ground — crushed

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