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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stock — goods
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. last — to go on
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rash — a series
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fall — the season
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rash — hasty
  16. last — final
  17. tear — to rip
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. last — finally
  21. stock — shares
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rash — on the skin

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