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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wind — moving air
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. dip — to sink
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bass — low music
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. last — finally
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. last — to go on
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bulb — for light
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wind — moving air
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. last — final
  24. tear — from crying

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