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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: face · pound · mark · bulb · pitcher · lash · drill · date

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mark — a trace
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. face — to confront
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. drill — army training
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mark — a grade
  16. date — the fruit
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — part of the head
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mark — to pay attention

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