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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mug — a cup
  4. suit — clothes
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bulb — for light
  10. suit — to fit
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mug — a face
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bulb — for light
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mug — to rob
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. craft — boats
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bat — the animal

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