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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 · staff · track · lash · snap · march · plane · game

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. track — a path
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. track — to keep track
  7. snap — to click
  8. track — a song
  9. plane — a tool
  10. game — wild animals
  11. march — the month
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. march — music
  15. staff — employees
  16. game — a match
  17. march — the month
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. staff — employees
  22. bulb — for light
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bulb — for light

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