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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 116 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 · rush · patient · lash · pound · track · bulb · stick

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. track — a path
  3. tear — to rip
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pound — a weight

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