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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pit — a hole
  3. spell — magic
  4. tear — to rip
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. can — a tin
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bulb — for light
  12. drill — army training
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. game — wild animals
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. tear — from crying
  17. can — a tin
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pit — in a race
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. spell — letters

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