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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. spell — letters
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cell — a phone
  8. spell — magic
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. mate — a friend
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tear — to rip
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mate — to breed

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