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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: tear · lie · hand · stand · rest · net · date · bulb

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — help
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hand — in cards
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. rest — a break
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rest — what's left
  11. net — for catching
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. net — in sport
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. stand — to bear
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. net — after costs
  24. lie — to recline

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