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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. dip — to sink
  3. tear — to rip
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. tear — from crying
  6. staff — employees
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wound — an injury
  9. present — the time now
  10. wound — an injury
  11. present — a gift
  12. bulb — for light
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. staff — a stick
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tear — from crying
  23. staff — employees
  24. racket — for tennis

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