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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · stand · ground · bulb · lash · jam

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bat — the animal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. ground — the earth
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ground — a position
  18. lash — an eyelash

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