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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: hide · rest · shower · lash · patient · bulb · chip · bass

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bass — low music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. shower — rain
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rest — a break
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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