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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. tear — from crying
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mine — for digging
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mine — an explosive

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