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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: rock · arm · bulb · tear · lean · row · lash · plane

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. tear — to rip
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. row — a line
  13. bulb — for light
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rock — a stone
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — music
  24. arm — a part of something

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