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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 120 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 · drill · firm · rock · lash · rash · object · spell

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. object — to protest
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. firm — steady
  7. object — a thing
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. firm — decided
  10. bulb — for light
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rock — a stone
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. firm — a company
  15. rock — music
  16. drill — the tool
  17. spell — letters
  18. rash — hasty
  19. object — an aim
  20. drill — army training
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. spell — magic
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rash — a series

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