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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: squash · lash · bass · mug · hand · kid · patient · bulb

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. hand — help
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mug — a face
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bass — low music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bulb — for light
  22. squash — to crush
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mug — a cup

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