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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. bulb — for light
  3. firm — a company
  4. march — the month
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. firm — steady
  9. bulb — for light
  10. march — music
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tube — a container
  15. rash — hasty
  16. firm — decided
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rash — a series
  23. march — the month
  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