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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rest — a break
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stand — to bear
  11. tear — from crying
  12. current — happening now
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tear — to rip
  15. current — electric
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hand — help
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. current — of water

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