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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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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: band · lash · bay · pitcher · pound · mate · rule · bulb

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. band — a ring
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mate — a partner
  19. band — a music group
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. pound — to hit hard

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