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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 · lash · dip · nail · fall · leaves · shower · firm

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. firm — steady
  3. fall — to drop
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. firm — decided
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. firm — a company
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. nail — for a hammer

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