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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: land · drill · bulb · date · dip · file · lash · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. drill — a practice
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. deal — to handle
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. file — a document
  12. bulb — for light
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. file — a tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. land — a country
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. drill — army training
  23. dip — to dunk
  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