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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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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: lash · fall · cap · bark · bulb · bore · mug · pop

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bore — to tire
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pop — soda
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bark — to shout
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mug — a face
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pop — music
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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