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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: pound · fine · staff · cabinet · rash · lash · bulb · roll

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. staff — employees
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — hasty
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. roll — a list
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. staff — employees
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. staff — a stick
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fine — all right
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. roll — on a roll

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