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

Word bank: toast · bay · ground · swing · deal · tear · nail · bulb

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. swing — to play on
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. tear — from crying
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. ground — a position
  18. swing — music
  19. ground — crushed
  20. deal — to handle
  21. toast — bread
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. deal — an agreement

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