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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rule — government
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. last — to go on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rule — a law
  14. tear — from crying
  15. last — finally
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. last — final
  24. firm — a company

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