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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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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: mate · rush · lash · kick · root · deal · bulb · pound

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. kick — in football
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. root — of a word
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mate — to breed
  19. root — the cause
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lash — to lash out

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