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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: pitcher · sharp · lash · lie · scale · drill · wave · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. drill — army training
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. scale — size or range
  12. drill — the tool
  13. scale — in music
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lie — to recline

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