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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. tear — to rip
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. saw — the tool
  6. track — a song
  7. tear — from crying
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rest — a break
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. net — for catching
  15. saw — the tool
  16. track — to keep track
  17. net — after costs
  18. rest — what's left
  19. net — in sport
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. track — a path
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. leaves — to go away
  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