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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fall — to drop
  4. key — in music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bulb — for light
  7. band — a ring
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. tear — to rip
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tear — from crying
  17. band — a music group
  18. mark — a trace
  19. key — the most important part
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — the season

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