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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bank — for money
  3. content — happy
  4. tear — to rip
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. tear — from crying
  11. last — to go on
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bulb — for light
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. tear — from crying
  21. content — the amount
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bank — for money
  24. bat — the animal

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