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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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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 · tube · sharp · rash · pound · snap · rock · tear

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rash — a series
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. tear — from crying
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. tube — a container
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pound — a weight
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. snap — to click
  21. rash — hasty
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rock — music

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