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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. last — finally
  3. object — a thing
  4. roll — a list
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. last — final
  9. lean — thin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. last — to go on
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bulb — for light
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mark — a trace
  19. object — to protest
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lean — to bend
  23. object — an aim
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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