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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: bulb · tear · lash · wound · mark · file · cue · cabinet

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. tear — from crying
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wound — an injury
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cue — a hint

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