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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: kick · stick · bark · lash · bulb · temple · cabinet · rest

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rest — what's left
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rest — a break
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bark — of a tree
  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