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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · march · stem · bulb · lash · field · content · mouse

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rash — a series
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. field — a subject
  13. bulb — for light
  14. march — music
  15. field — farmland
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. field — for sport
  20. rash — hasty
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mouse — the animal

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