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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 120 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: object · wound · lash · bowl · band · chair · row · bulb

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. band — a music group
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. band — a ring
  9. wound — an injury
  10. chair — a leader
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. bulb — for light
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. object — an aim
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bulb — of a plant

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