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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. tear — to rip
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. court — of law
  5. object — an aim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. craft — boats
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. object — a thing
  11. court — for sport
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. court — of a king
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mate — a partner
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mine — for digging
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tear — from crying

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