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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: deal · suit · bulb · tear · land · lash · bank · bat

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bank — for money
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. suit — in cards
  10. land — ground
  11. tear — to rip
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bank — for money
  21. land — a country
  22. tear — from crying
  23. land — to come down
  24. bulb — for light

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