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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bank — for money
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. cap — of ice
  21. drill — army training
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bear — the animal
  24. dip — to sink

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