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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cold — an illness
  7. current — happening now
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. saw — the tool
  21. kick — in football
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cold — not warm

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