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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. chair — a leader
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bulb — for light
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. object — to protest
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. shower — to wash
  12. tear — from crying
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. shower — rain
  17. pit — in a race
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. object — a thing
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wind — moving air
  23. object — an aim
  24. tear — from crying

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