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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: wave · club · rock · bulb · kick · ground · lash · object

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. ground — a position
  5. club — for dancing
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rock — music
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bulb — for light
  14. club — for golf
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. club — a group
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rock — a stone
  24. object — to protest

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