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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tear — from crying
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — shares
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stock — goods
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rash — hasty
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rash — a series
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pitcher — a jug

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