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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pop — music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. tear — from crying
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bulb — for light
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. tear — from crying
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. saw — the tool
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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