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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: mine · bulb · rest · lash · ruler · scale · tear · leaves

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mine — for digging
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tear — from crying
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mine — an explosive

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