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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · degree · cabinet · lash · squash · ball · foot · plane

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. plane — a tool
  9. degree — temperature
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. degree — an amount
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. squash — to crush
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. ball — a dance
  24. degree — from a university

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