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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 120 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cap — of ice
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. clip — a video
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. suit — in cards
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. cue — for pool
  12. tear — to rip
  13. firm — decided
  14. cap — a lid
  15. spell — magic
  16. clip — to cut
  17. firm — a company
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cap — a hat
  21. clip — for paper
  22. perch — the fish
  23. tear — from crying
  24. firm — steady

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