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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: bulb · mark · drill · stick · lash · squash · bass · hand

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bass — low music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. drill — army training
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hand — help
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. drill — the tool

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