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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 116 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: march · lash · fall · mug · pitcher · pass · bulb · mark

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fall — to drop
  4. march — music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. march — the month
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fall — the season
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. march — the month
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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