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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. suit — to fit
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. suit — clothes
  6. season — in sport
  7. firm — steady
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. perch — the fish
  13. sharp — clever
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pound — a weight
  16. firm — a company
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tear — from crying
  20. suit — in cards
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. season — of the year
  23. tear — to rip
  24. coach — a trainer

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