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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bore — to tire
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. key — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. prune — to trim
  7. vault — a safe
  8. key — the most important part
  9. roll — a list
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bore — to drill
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. sharp — clever
  16. tear — from crying
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tear — to rip
  21. roll — a cake
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. key — for a lock

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