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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. snap — to click
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tube — the underground
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — a container
  15. bulb — for light
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bulb — for light
  19. shower — to wash
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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