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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wound — an injury
  4. shower — rain
  5. perch — the fish
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tear — to rip
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. tear — from crying
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bound — tied together
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bound — certain
  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