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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: bulb · hand · staff · swing · lash · fall · pop · suit

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fall — to drop
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bulb — for light
  9. swing — in golf
  10. staff — employees
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — for light
  13. staff — employees
  14. pop — music
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fall — the season
  17. hand — help
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. swing — to play on
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. staff — a stick
  23. suit — in cards
  24. hand — in cards

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