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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bulb · prune · bay · wound · rock · rush · tear · land

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. tear — from crying
  8. land — a country
  9. rock — music
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wound — an injury
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bulb — for light
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rush — hurry

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