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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: sharp · fan · bulb · mate · staff · lean · lash · bat

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mate — a partner
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lean — thin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lean — to bend
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fan — a supporter

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