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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. key — for a lock
  3. perch — the fish
  4. tear — to rip
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — the most important part
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hand — help
  14. key — in music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. suit — clothes
  18. tear — from crying

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