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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mark — a trace
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bulb — for light
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. court — of a king
  10. wound — an injury
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. dip — to dunk

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