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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tear — from crying
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. court — of law
  11. spring — a coil
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bulb — for light
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. court — of a king
  21. suit — to fit
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — of water
  24. court — for sport

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