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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: wake · bulb · ground · stick · roll · mark · mouse · lash

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. roll — a list
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. roll — a cake
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ground — a position
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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