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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hand — in cards
  5. firm — steady
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. firm — a company
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. firm — decided
  12. rash — hasty
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tear — to rip
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ball — a great time
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rash — a series
  24. snap — to click

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