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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: drill · lash · net · shower · bay · clip · bulb · wound

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wound — an injury
  4. drill — army training
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. net — for catching
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wound — an injury
  15. clip — a video
  16. net — in sport
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. drill — the tool
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. clip — for paper
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. clip — to cut
  24. net — after costs

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