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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. coach — a trainer
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. dip — to sink
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. spell — magic
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bank — of a river
  11. spell — letters
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. perch — the fish
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. spell — a short time
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bank — for money
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. root — of a word
  21. bank — for money
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  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