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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 120 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 · bank · lean · arm · mine · bulb · stick · rash

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lean — thin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bank — for money
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bank — for money
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rash — a series
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. arm — a part of something

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