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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. board — to get on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tear — to rip
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wind — moving air
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pit — in a race
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. clip — for paper
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. clip — a video
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — a committee
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pit — a hole
  21. track — a song
  22. tear — from crying
  23. track — a path
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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