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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · spring · mouse · lash · temple · tear · mine · arm

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. tear — to rip
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spring — of water
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. spring — the season
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bulb — for light
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. tear — from crying
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lash — to lash out

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