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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. tear — from crying
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. craft — a skill
  9. ground — a position
  10. tear — from crying
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. drill — army training
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. craft — boats
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tear — to rip
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. drill — a practice

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