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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bulb — for light
  3. tear — from crying
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bass — low music
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mark — to pay attention

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