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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.

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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. 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. tear — from crying
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wake — a trail
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — in a road
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cue — for pool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cue — a hint
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. perch — the fish
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — a signal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. 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