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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bulb — for light
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. tear — from crying
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. firm — decided
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bulb — for light
  11. court — of a king
  12. deal — to handle
  13. face — part of the head
  14. tear — from crying
  15. court — of law
  16. face — to confront
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. firm — a company
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. court — for sport
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. firm — steady
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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