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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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Word bank
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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: swing · lash · tube · stick · bass · bulb

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. swing — music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tube — a container
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bulb — for light
  18. swing — in golf

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