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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stand — to bear
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. suit — to fit
  8. field — a subject
  9. tear — to rip
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rash — a series
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. plane — a tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. field — farmland
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. suit — clothes
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — for sport
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ruler — a monarch

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