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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. spell — magic
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. current — electric
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. tear — from crying
  13. swing — music
  14. current — of water
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. swing — to play on
  17. spell — letters
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. content — the amount
  21. current — happening now
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. content — happy
  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