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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. firm — steady
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. ball — a great time
  5. firm — a company
  6. ball — a dance
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. firm — decided
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. spell — letters
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. plane — a tool
  19. spell — magic
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bulb — for light
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spell — a short time
  24. temple — side of the head

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