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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: can · jam · lash · snap · sharp · mark · bulb · squash

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. can — to be able to
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. can — a tin
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. squash — the sport
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. squash — to crush
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. can — a tin
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. snap — to click
  24. mark — to pay attention

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