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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bulb — for light
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. spell — letters
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. kick — in football
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pound — a weight
  14. tear — from crying
  15. field — for sport
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wind — moving air
  18. field — a subject
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wind — moving air
  23. field — farmland
  24. spell — magic

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