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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: foot · lash · staff · row · hide · mouse · rock · bulb

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rock — music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bulb — for light
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. staff — employees
  22. row — a line
  23. rock — a stone
  24. foot — the bottom

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