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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. craft — boats
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bulb — for light
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pitch — completely
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. craft — a skill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. tear — to rip
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. racket — for tennis
  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