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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bulb — for light
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bulb — for light

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