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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: bulb · tube · lash · board · fork · snap · rule · current

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. tube — a container
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fork — in a road
  5. snap — to click
  6. rule — government
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. board — to get on
  12. rule — a law
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — a committee
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rule — to rule out

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