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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — in sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. roll — a cake
  9. net — after costs
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. roll — a list
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. net — for catching
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. saw — the tool

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