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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. march — music
  8. object — a thing
  9. present — a gift
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. chip — for betting
  12. present — there
  13. march — the month
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. march — the month
  17. bulb — for light
  18. object — to protest
  19. rule — government
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mine — for digging
  22. object — an aim
  23. present — the time now
  24. mine — belonging to me

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