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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · can · key · bat · lash · bulb · mate · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. can — a tin
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bulb — for light
  12. can — a tin
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bulb — for light
  15. can — to be able to
  16. key — in music
  17. rule — a law
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rule — government
  20. row — a line
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mate — a partner
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mate — a friend

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