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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. tear — from crying
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rule — a law
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. tear — to rip
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. can — a tin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bass — low music
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. track — a path
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. can — a tin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rule — government

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