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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. suit — clothes
  11. craft — a skill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. craft — boats
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pound — a weight

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