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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. tear — from crying
  7. hand — help
  8. spring — of water
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. hand — in cards
  11. spring — the season
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — electric
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. current — of water
  17. vault — a safe
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bulb — for light
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. spring — a coil
  23. current — happening now
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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