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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: lash · game · fine · roll · rush · bulb · can · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fine — all right
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. game — wild animals
  11. roll — a list
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. game — a match
  14. roll — a cake
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tear — from crying
  18. can — a tin
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. can — a tin
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. can — to be able to
  24. roll — on a roll

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