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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — in control
  10. pound — a weight
  11. spell — a short time
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. charge — a price
  18. lean — to bend
  19. spell — magic
  20. rash — hasty
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. spell — letters
  24. tube — a container

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