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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pound — a weight
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. clip — to cut
  9. cue — for pool
  10. spell — letters
  11. tube — a container
  12. bulb — for light
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. tear — from crying
  16. clip — a video
  17. tube — the underground
  18. spell — magic
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pound — to hit hard

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