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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: roll · face · cold · pass · lash · jam · club · bulb

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. club — for golf
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. club — a group
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. roll — a cake
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. cold — not warm
  21. roll — a list
  22. cold — an illness
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. club — for dancing

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