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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. swing — in golf
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bore — to drill
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rule — a law
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wake — a trail
  16. swing — music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. tear — from crying
  20. board — a committee
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. board — to get on

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