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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: lie · rash · band · lash · bat · bulb · fall · pass

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rash — a series
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a ring
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. fall — the season
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fall — to drop
  10. band — a music group
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bulb — of a plant

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