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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: bowl · lash · snap · calf · bulb · track · spell · club

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. track — to keep track
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. track — a song
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spell — magic
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. club — a group
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. club — for dancing
  13. snap — to click
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. spell — letters
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. club — for golf
  24. track — a path

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