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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bulb — for light
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tear — to rip
  8. drill — army training
  9. content — the amount
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lie — to recline
  20. drill — the tool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. deal — to handle

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