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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: lash · cold · pass · straw · rock · sharp · bulb · cap

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rock — a stone
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rock — music
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — an illness
  24. sharp — with an edge

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