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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. spell — magic
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wind — moving air
  8. spell — letters
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — a short time
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. tear — to rip
  15. face — to point toward
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. face — to confront
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bore — to tire
  24. safe — a strongbox

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