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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. tear — from crying
  5. season — in sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. tear — from crying
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pass — a permit
  12. race — humankind
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. perch — the fish
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. race — the arms race
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. race — a contest
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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