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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: dip · bulb · rock · staff · scale · mark · lash · rush

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bulb — for light
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. staff — a stick
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. staff — employees
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. staff — employees
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — in music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lash — to lash 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