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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: rash · stem · bulb · tear · mark · swing · racket · object

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. object — to protest
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. object — a thing
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mark — a grade
  11. swing — to play on
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. object — an aim
  20. swing — music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mark — a trace
  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