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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tear — from crying
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chip — to eat
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. tear — to rip
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. hide — to keep secret

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