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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: rush · plane · mate · bulb · snap · lash · saw · temple

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mate — a friend
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bulb — for light
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to click
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rush — to hurry

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