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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fine — all right
  4. pop — to visit
  5. branch — a division
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. tear — from crying
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pop — music
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fine — high quality
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. craft — a skill
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pop — soda
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bulb — for light
  23. current — happening now
  24. craft — boats

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