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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 124 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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bulb — for light
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mug — to rob
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mug — a face
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bulb — for light
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mine — an explosive

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