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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: roll · kid · mark · saw · tear · rash · bulb · suit

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. mark — a grade
  11. roll — a cake
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mark — a trace
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rash — a series
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. suit — in cards
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. tear — from crying

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