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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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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: wound · mate · pass · stick · bay · pop · bulb · lash

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pop — music
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pop — soda
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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