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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: leaves · bulb · degree · last · rush · lash · march · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. can — a tin
  7. march — music
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. march — the month
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — the month
  17. bulb — for light
  18. can — a tin
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. degree — temperature
  23. last — finally
  24. leaves — lets stay

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