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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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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: mark · lash · date · wind · board · mate · fork · bulb

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. date — the fruit
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mate — a partner
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — to get on
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lash — an eyelash

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