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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 116 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: lash · cue · mug · sharp · current · row · spring · bulb

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cue — a signal
  5. current — happening now
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cue — for pool
  8. current — electric
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. row — to paddle
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cue — a hint
  13. current — of water
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. spring — the season
  19. mug — to rob
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mug — a face
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. row — a line
  24. spring — of water

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