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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. suit — clothes
  3. tear — to rip
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. suit — in cards
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pound — a weight
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rule — government
  18. bulb — of a plant

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