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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. tear — from crying
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. craft — a skill
  8. tear — to rip
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. game — a match
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. perch — the fish
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. land — ground

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