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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lie — to recline
  4. can — a tin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tear — to rip
  7. firm — steady
  8. tear — from crying
  9. firm — decided
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — a company
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — child
  24. bulb — of a plant

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