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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tear — from crying
  3. roll — a list
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mate — a partner
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. root — of a plant
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tear — from crying
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. root — the cause
  16. bulb — for light
  17. foot — a measure
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. root — of a word
  20. mate — to breed
  21. roll — a cake
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mate — a friend
  24. tear — to rip

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