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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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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: lean · rest · kick · bowl · bat · tear · lie · bulb

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. kick — in football
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bat — the animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lean — thin
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lie — to recline

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