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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 116 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tear — from crying
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pass — a permit
  7. current — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hand — help
  11. current — happening now
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. current — electric
  18. tear — from crying
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. spring — the season

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