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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cold — not warm
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. club — a group
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cell — a phone
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. tear — from crying
  13. club — for dancing
  14. tear — to rip
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bore — to drill
  19. club — for golf
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bore — gave birth

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