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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. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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. land — to come down
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. charge — a price
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. present — the time now
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. present — a gift
  12. land — a country
  13. shower — rain
  14. charge — electricity
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. charge — in control
  18. present — there
  19. bulb — for light
  20. land — ground
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bulb — of a plant

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