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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 116 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. march — the month
  6. prune — to trim
  7. perch — the fish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. march — the month
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tear — from crying
  13. march — music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rash — a series
  17. tear — from crying
  18. craft — a skill
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. craft — boats
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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