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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · rock · bulb · toast · stand · tear · mug · game

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spell — letters
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bulb — for light
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rock — music
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rock — a stone
  14. toast — bread
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tear — to rip
  20. game — a match
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bulb — for light

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