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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rule — a law
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. kick — in football
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rule — government
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. tear — from crying
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rush — hurry
  24. kick — a thrill

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