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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 116 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. tear — from crying
  3. capital — money
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chair — a leader
  6. tear — from crying
  7. present — there
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. can — a tin
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. can — a tin
  16. present — a gift
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. tear — to rip
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. present — the time now
  24. chair — to sit on

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