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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 116 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fall — to drop
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tear — to rip
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wind — moving air
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. fall — the season
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. ball — a dance
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. kick — in football
  24. ball — a great time

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