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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bulb — for light
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. swing — to play on
  10. saw — the tool
  11. swing — music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mark — a trace
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tear — from crying
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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