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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: wave · drill · saw · bay · bulb · lash · kick · rock

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kick — in football
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rock — music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. drill — army training
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. drill — the tool

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