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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: board · drill · kick · wax · bulb · ball · lash · pitcher

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. kick — in football
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. drill — army training
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. board — to get on
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. drill — the tool
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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