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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wound — an injury
  9. firm — steady
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tear — from crying
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lean — thin
  15. kid — child
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. firm — decided
  19. kid — to tease
  20. firm — a company
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. current — of water
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lean — to bend

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