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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. tear — to rip
  3. wind — moving air
  4. spell — magic
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. perch — the fish
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. chip — for betting
  17. tear — from crying
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chip — to eat
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. dip — to sink
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. safe — out of danger

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