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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: date · safe · coach · lash · mark · clip · spring · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bulb — for light
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. clip — for paper
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mark — a grade
  13. clip — to cut
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. clip — a video
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. spring — the season

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