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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pitch — completely
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pop — soda
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tear — from crying
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pop — music
  11. tear — from crying
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rest — a break
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wake — a trail
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pop — to visit
  24. ruler — a monarch

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