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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: game · rash · court · bulb · shower · lash · lean · band

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rash — a series
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lean — thin
  5. shower — to wash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. shower — rain
  10. band — a music group
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. lean — to bend
  13. band — a ring
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. court — of law
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. game — a match
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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