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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. tear — from crying
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bulb — for light
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ground — a position
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ground — crushed
  10. season — in sport
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bound — obliged
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. prune — to trim
  20. season — of the year
  21. tear — to rip
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wind — moving air
  24. tear — from crying

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