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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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 — to rip
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bear — the animal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. tear — from crying
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hand — help
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lash — to lash out
  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