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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. object — a thing
  3. rest — a break
  4. current — electric
  5. object — to protest
  6. current — happening now
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bound — obliged
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bound — tied together
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. current — of water
  16. bound — certain
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. object — an aim
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. bulb — for light

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