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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: lean · roll · shower · bulb · rash · wound · content · lash

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lean — thin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. content — the amount
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. roll — a list
  9. bulb — for light
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. shower — rain
  15. rash — hasty
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. content — happy
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rash — a series

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