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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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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. last — final
  4. object — to protest
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. object — an aim
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bank — for money
  11. tear — to rip
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. scale — in music
  21. object — a thing
  22. bank — for money
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bank — of a river

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