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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 · lash · face · lean · bark · game · rash · mark

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rash — a series
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lean — thin
  8. game — wild animals
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mark — a trace
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. game — a match

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