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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. plane — a tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rash — a series
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. suit — in cards
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — rain
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pop — to visit
  17. tear — from crying
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pop — soda
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rash — hasty
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pop — music
  24. rash — on the skin

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