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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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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: season · hide · bulb · deal · lash · row · chip · staff

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. staff — employees
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bulb — for light
  10. row — a line
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bulb — for light
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. row — to paddle
  20. season — of the year
  21. chip — to eat
  22. staff — employees
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. season — in sport

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