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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. perch — the fish
  3. tear — to rip
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rule — a law
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bulb — for light
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stand — to bear
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. deal — to handle
  15. squash — to crush
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cell — in biology
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rule — government
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. tear — from crying

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