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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 116 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 · fan · pass · rash · content · bulb · rush · row

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. row — a line
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rash — a series
  13. pass — a permit
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rush — hurry
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. pass — to succeed

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