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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bulb — for light
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. content — the amount
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — a gift
  9. ball — a great time
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. present — the time now
  14. content — happy
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pass — a permit
  17. present — there
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. prune — to trim
  22. tear — from crying
  23. ball — a dance
  24. tear — to rip

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