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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pass — a permit
  6. net — for catching
  7. wound — an injury
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. file — a document
  17. net — after costs
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wound — an injury
  23. net — in sport
  24. tear — to rip

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