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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: game · lash · snap · march · bulb · tube · deal · toast

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. march — the month
  3. toast — bread
  4. tube — a container
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. snap — to click
  8. tube — the underground
  9. game — a match
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. march — the month
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. deal — to handle
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bulb — for light
  18. game — wild animals
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bulb — for light
  21. march — music
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. lash — to lash out

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