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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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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: bank · rash · lash · can · bulb · fork · arm · rest

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bank — for money
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. bank — for money
  20. rash — a series
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. can — a tin

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