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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bulb — for light
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. object — a thing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chest — a box
  9. bass — low music
  10. object — to protest
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. tear — from crying
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. tear — to rip
  20. object — an aim
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. toast — bread
  23. bass — the fish
  24. chest — of your body

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