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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. capital — a city
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. object — an aim
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. capital — money
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to click
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tear — from crying
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. object — to protest
  20. chip — for betting
  21. object — a thing
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. capital — a big letter

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