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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · calf · capital · rush · lash · mouse

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. capital — a city
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. capital — money
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. calf — a young animal

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