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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. march — music
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. march — the month
  20. bass — low music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. march — the month
  24. pound — a weight

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