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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · stick · object · lash · game · temple · spring · bulb

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bulb — for light
  5. object — to protest
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. spring — the season
  11. bank — for money
  12. object — an aim
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bulb — for light
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — a match
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bank — of a river
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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