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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's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. craft — a skill
  4. land — ground
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. land — to come down
  8. root — of a plant
  9. craft — boats
  10. pass — a permit
  11. root — of a word
  12. wound — an injury
  13. root — the cause
  14. object — to protest
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. object — a thing
  21. perch — the fish
  22. land — a country
  23. object — an aim
  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