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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rock — a stone
  3. last — final
  4. tear — to rip
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. tear — from crying
  8. firm — decided
  9. spell — a short time
  10. tear — from crying
  11. last — finally
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cold — not warm
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cold — an illness
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. spell — letters
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. last — to go on
  24. bulb — for light

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