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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: lash · snap · ruler · bank · march · bulb · wind · court

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wind — moving air
  3. court — of a king
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bank — for money
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. court — of law
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. court — for sport
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bulb — for light
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. march — the month
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bank — for money
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wind — to turn a key

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