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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. can — a tin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. can — a tin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. march — the month
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. march — music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. perch — the fish
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tear — to rip
  18. can — to be able to

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