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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. spring — the season
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spring — of water
  7. ground — a position
  8. spring — a coil
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ground — crushed
  13. roll — a cake
  14. current — electric
  15. mate — a friend
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. current — of water
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mate — a partner
  23. current — happening now
  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