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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: rush · lash · bulb · pass · pitcher · squash · pit · shower

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rush — hurry
  8. shower — rain
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. squash — to crush
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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