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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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. spell — a short time
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. tear — from crying
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rule — a law
  11. spell — magic
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bulb — for light
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rule — government
  17. plane — a tool
  18. spell — letters
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wind — moving air

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