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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tear — to rip
  6. spell — a short time
  7. prune — to trim
  8. firm — steady
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rule — government
  11. present — a gift
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. tear — from crying
  15. present — there
  16. spell — letters
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — decided
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rule — a law
  21. firm — a company
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — the time now

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