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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. suit — to fit
  3. firm — decided
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bulb — for light
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. tear — from crying
  12. roll — a list
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. firm — a company
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bank — for money
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bank — for money
  22. roll — a cake
  23. suit — clothes
  24. firm — steady

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