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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · racket · plane · tear · cold · swing · rush · bore

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. swing — music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bore — to tire
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bore — to drill
  23. plane — in geometry
  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