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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. spell — letters
  3. firm — steady
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. firm — a company
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lean — to bend
  13. drill — a practice
  14. suit — clothes
  15. tear — from crying
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. suit — to fit
  20. tear — to rip
  21. drill — army training
  22. suit — in cards
  23. firm — decided
  24. spell — magic

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