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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. scale — size or range
  7. tear — from crying
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bear — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rock — music
  14. ball — a dance
  15. scale — in music
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rock — to move gently

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