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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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. shower — rain
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. clip — a video
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. clip — to cut
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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