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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: stick · bulb · lash · scale · ruler · mine · object · firm

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bulb — for light
  7. object — to protest
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. firm — decided
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. object — a thing
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. object — an aim
  24. scale — for weighing

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