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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tear — to rip
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. tear — from crying
  11. object — an aim
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. object — to protest
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — a thing
  24. fan — to cool the air

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