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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: lash · squash · key · band · rush · wake · bulb · current

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rush — hurry
  6. band — a music group
  7. current — electric
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. squash — the sport
  12. current — happening now
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. current — of water
  17. band — a ring
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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