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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bass — low music
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. tear — to rip
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rest — what's left
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rest — what's left
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rock — a stone
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. tear — from crying
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. track — a song
  17. bass — the fish
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rest — a break
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. track — a path
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rock — music

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