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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. spell — magic
  3. file — a tool
  4. current — of water
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a line of people
  9. spell — a short time
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. file — a document
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. vault — a safe
  19. current — happening now
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. spell — letters
  24. current — electric

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