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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. rule — a law
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cold — an illness
  18. tear — to rip
  19. kick — in football
  20. rule — government
  21. tube — a container
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cold — not warm
  24. kick — with a leg

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