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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — the animal
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ground — a position
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. rush — hurry
  19. kick — in football
  20. rest — a break
  21. tear — to rip
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — in a race

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