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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. tear — to rip
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. firm — decided
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pass — a permit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bore — to drill
  10. tear — from crying
  11. clip — a video
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. firm — steady
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bore — to tire
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fan — to cool the air

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