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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. firm — steady
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. spell — letters
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. spell — magic
  10. tear — from crying
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. tear — to rip
  19. perch — the fish
  20. spell — a short time
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hand — in cards

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