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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. sharp — clever
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. craft — boats
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. craft — a skill
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rush — hurry
  12. charge — a price
  13. track — to keep track
  14. perch — the fish
  15. tear — from crying
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. track — a path
  24. charge — in control

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