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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. clip — a video
  4. tear — from crying
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wind — moving air
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. clip — to cut
  10. perch — the fish
  11. suit — to fit
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wind — moving air
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. tear — from crying

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