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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: bulb · toast · rush · fork · stem · object · lash · kid

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bulb — for light
  3. object — to protest
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. fork — in a road
  12. kid — child
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rush — hurry
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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