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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. tear — to rip
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — music
  7. shower — rain
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — soda
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. roll — a cake
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pop — to visit
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chair — a leader
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. roll — on a roll

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