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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. present — the time now
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. present — a gift
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tear — from crying
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. present — there
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. object — to protest
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. object — an aim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. object — a thing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cue — a signal
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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