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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. present — a gift
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. present — the time now
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. key — in music
  8. present — there
  9. cell — a phone
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. lean — to bend
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lean — thin
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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