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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. season — of the year
  3. stand — to bear
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bound — obliged
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. season — in sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bound — certain
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bound — tied together
  19. can — a tin
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. perch — the fish
  23. can — a tin
  24. tear — from crying

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