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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 116 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: drill · swing · kid · lash · mug · bulb · pop · rush

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rush — hurry
  3. drill — army training
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pop — soda
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pop — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kid — to tease
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. kid — child

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