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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pop — to visit
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rest — what's left
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rest — a break
  12. suit — in cards
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. suit — clothes
  22. tear — to rip
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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