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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: tear · lash · bulb · ruler · bowl · stick

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ruler — a monarch

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