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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: tear · lash · bulb · ruler · bowl · stick · stock · can

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stock — shares
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stock — goods
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. can — to be able to
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. bowl — to 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