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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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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: lash · perch · cell · bulb · bay · chest · fan · tube

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chest — a box
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cell — a phone
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fan — a supporter

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