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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 116 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
468
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: kid · bulb · rash · mine · ruler · mug · lash · cabinet

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. kid — child
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rash — hasty
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — a series
  24. mine — for digging

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