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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. degree — temperature
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bulb — for light
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cap — a lid
  9. object — an aim
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cap — of ice
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cap — a hat
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. object — to protest
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. object — a thing
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tear — to rip
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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