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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. spell — a short time
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mug — to rob
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bulb — for light
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. mug — a face
  15. firm — a company
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. tear — to rip
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. game — a match

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