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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tear — to rip
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mark — a trace
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tear — from crying
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — after costs
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fork — in a road
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lean — thin
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fork — to eat with

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