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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: rash · roll · bass · lash · firm · field · saw · bulb

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. roll — a list
  3. saw — the tool
  4. field — a subject
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. firm — steady
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rash — a series
  13. bass — low music
  14. firm — decided
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. firm — a company
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. field — for sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bulb — for light
  23. field — farmland
  24. roll — a cake

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