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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: ground · can · lash · bass · present · bulb · chair · board

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ground — a position
  5. present — a gift
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chair — a leader
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. can — a tin
  13. ground — crushed
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. board — to get on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. board — a committee

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