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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wound · mate · nail · march · dip · mark

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. march — music
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. march — the month
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. march — the month
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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