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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. tear — to rip
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. hand — in cards
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. face — part of the head
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. firm — decided
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. tear — from crying
  15. face — to confront
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. hand — help
  21. tear — from crying
  22. scale — in music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitcher — a jug

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