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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. row — to paddle
  4. suit — in cards
  5. tear — from crying
  6. scale — size or range
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. march — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. march — the month
  11. suit — to fit
  12. row — a line
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tear — to rip
  16. scale — in music
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bulb — for light
  22. march — the month
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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