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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: bass · lash · saw · hand · bulb · ruler · fine · mug

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fine — all right
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. hand — help
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mug — a face
  24. ruler — for measuring

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