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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: bulb · face · lash · mate · pop · pitcher · lie · last

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. last — final
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mate — a friend
  8. last — finally
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. last — to go on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pop — soda
  17. face — to confront
  18. bulb — for light
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pop — music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mate — a partner

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