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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: spring · bark · can · rest · rash · bulb · drill · tear

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bulb — for light
  10. can — a tin
  11. spring — the season
  12. can — to be able to
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tear — to rip
  18. drill — army training
  19. spring — of water
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — a break
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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