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

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. face — to point toward
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. row — to paddle
  12. tear — to rip
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. face — part of the head
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. row — a line
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. can — a tin
  21. chest — of your body
  22. face — to confront
  23. can — a tin
  24. perch — for a bird

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