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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 · ruler · wound · bulb · patient · bass · bay · cabinet

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cabinet — ministers

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