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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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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: sharp · foot · last · leaves · lash · lean · bulb · band

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bulb — for light
  6. last — final
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. last — to go on
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lean — thin
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lean — to bend
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. last — finally

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