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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: rule · rash · pitcher · bulb · lash · plane · land · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. land — a country
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rash — hasty
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. land — to come down
  12. rule — government
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rash — a series
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. land — ground
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rule — a law
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pitcher — a jug

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