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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spell — magic
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mark — a trace
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. spell — a short time
  15. tear — to rip
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bat — the animal
  21. spell — letters
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — a grade

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