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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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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: tear · calf · lie · lash · bulb · key

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. tear — from crying
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. key — in music
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. tear — from crying
  17. key — for a lock
  18. 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