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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wind — moving air
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. suit — in cards
  10. snap — to click
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bound — certain
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bound — obliged
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rash — hasty
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rash — a series
  24. bat — in an idiom

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