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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. object — a thing
  3. drill — a practice
  4. tear — from crying
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rule — government
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bulb — for light
  17. drill — army training
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. object — an aim
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. object — to protest
  23. rule — a law
  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