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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.

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: toast · bulb · date · row · lash · board · sharp · mine

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bulb — for light
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. board — a committee
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. sharp — clever
  14. toast — bread
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bulb — for light

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