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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tear — from crying
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. can — to be able to
  15. saw — the tool
  16. suit — clothes
  17. tear — to rip
  18. suit — to fit
  19. can — a tin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bound — tied together
  24. can — a tin

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