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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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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: lash · bear · chip · staff · shower · mark · bulb · cell

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cell — in biology
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. staff — employees
  12. chip — to eat
  13. staff — employees
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chip — for betting

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