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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: ball · fan · lash · degree · bank · bulb · hand · fall

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bulb — for light
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — for money
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hand — help
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fall — the season
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lash — to lash out

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