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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · bulb · tear · lie · bowl · bark · nail · pop

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pop — music
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. lie — to recline
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rock — a stone
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pop — soda
  21. rock — music
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pop — to visit
  24. tear — to rip

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