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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mine — for digging
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tear — to rip
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chip — for betting
  13. spring — a coil
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lie — to recline
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spring — of water
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mine — belonging to me

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